With all the choices right now for superhero gaming, why would anyone want to pick up Champions Complete? Personally, I'd get it because it is reliable, consistent, and clear.

Powered by the HERO system's 6th Edition, Champions Complete is a cleaned up corebook for superheroic gaming without having to chew your way through the original 6th Edition release's massive dual corebooks. The author, Derek Heimforth, dives right into the challenge of presenting Champions without fat and fluff while retaining the clarity of the original.

Champions Complete narrows down HERO's massive potential to cater specifically to superheroic gaming. As expected, the entire HERO system is here, with leaner examples, clarified power descriptions and a friendlier text for getting people to understanding the system without being intimdated.

The Book goes into all the standard parts of the HERO system, from character creation to power creation, combat and equipment. For those wondering about it, Champions Complete lives up to it's name. You'd be hard pressed to find what's missing in this book.

Derek also goes into the examination of the superhero campaign, detailing what superheros are all about, and dealing with the various tropes found in the genre from secret identities to the conflicts common to superhero stories.

I suppose the only thing that's missing from the book is the lack of a dedicated setting. This is covered in another HERO Games product of course, but having one here wouldn't hurt. The example characters and references at the end of the book are very helpful and any experienced GM with his own vision of where to set his superhero game will have no problem getting a game up and running with this.

Champions Complete is an excellent way to get into the HERO system. The friendly and approachable methodology to present HERO in it's native superhero environment for new players is a move that I find to be very useful and well worth picking up if you're still looking for a superhero game.

However, I do feel that this is a great, concise presentation of the 6th Edition of the Hero System for the superhero genre. It is written clearly, organized logically, and laid out cleanly. All this is tackled in a number of pages that -- for those who may be familiar with the ever expanding pagecount of the Hero System books -- is shockingly short.

It doesn't feel like I was shortchanged, however. The book feels just the right length and provides enough rules, explanations, and examples to allow a GM and set of Players to get started right away!